NC Planica - Jalovec (mimo bivaka in čez Kotovo sedlo)

Access to starting point:
a) First we drive to Kranjska Gora, then we continue driving towards Rateče. When we arrive at the roundabout near Rateče, we take the exit in the direction of Planica. This is followed by some more ascent and we arrive at the large parking lot next to the Nordic Center Planica, where we park in the paid parking lot. The price for passenger cars is 2.5 eur / day (March 2019).
b) Through the Rateče border crossing we drive into Slovenia, then we soon turn right towards Planica. This is followed by some more ascent and we arrive at the large parking lot next to the Nordic Center Planica, where we park in the paid parking lot. The price for passenger cars is 2.5 eur / day (March 2019).

Path description:
From Planica we continue along the macadam road towards the Dom v Tamarju, before the road enters the forest it splits into two parts. We continue along the slightly right road in the direction of the footpath towards Tamar (slightly left is the drivable road, which is closed to public traffic).
The path ahead leads us along the road, which passes the last parking lot of NC Planica, enters the forest and which is converted into a cross-country ski track in winter. This is followed by an ascent along a gentle road, which mostly runs through the forest, when the path leaves the forest, there are viewpoints with signs of what can be seen along the path. Higher up, the forest thins out several times or we leave it for a while, so that beautiful views open up of the mountains rising above Planica and Tamar. When we get quite close to the Dom v Tamarju, a wonderful view of Jalovec opens up, the path splits.
We continue slightly left (slightly right is the spring of Nadiže) and a few minutes later we join the drivable road, along it past the chapel we arrive at the Planinski dom v Tamarju.
We continue along the marked mountain path in the direction of Jalovec and Ponce (left Slemenova špica). The path ahead leads us through the forest, which quickly brings us to the next junction, where the path to Ponce branches off to the right. We continue in the direction of Jalovec and continue the ascent along the path that still ascends gently through the forest for a short time. When we come out of the forest we first ascend for some time over extensive, partly already overgrown gravel fields, then gradually arrive at the scree that continues towards Jalovčev ozebnik. Along the scree we ascend to the marked junction, where we continue right in the direction of Jalovec along the path past the bivouac and over Kotovo sedlo (straight ahead Jalovška škrbina and the path to Jalovec, which leads over the scree to Kotovo sedlo).
From the junction onwards the path leads onto steep slopes, over which we begin to ascend. In the continuation the path leads over some slightly more difficult sections, where fixed protections are helpful. Higher up the path turns left and gradually levels out. The path continues along the belt of dwarf pines, and on the right side, about 100 meters away from the marked path we notice the Bivak pod Kotovim sedlom, which is located under a larger boulder (in fog we will have difficulty spotting where the bivouac is located).
If we want to go right to the bivouac, at this point we leave the marked path and walk over easier trackless terrain to the bivouac.
We continue the path along a moderately steep slope, on which we notice a larger number of boulders and larger rocks. Here the previously mentioned path that runs over the scree joins us from the left, we continue straight and after a few minutes of further ascent we arrive at Kotovo sedlo.
From the saddle, where the path from Loška Koritnica joins us, and from where the path continues towards Mangart, we turn left in the direction of Jalovec. We continue along and on the ridge, then the path turns slightly to the right and brings us to the western slopes of Jalovec. Here we ascend over an increasingly rocky slope, and we follow the technically not yet very demanding path to an altitude of approximately 2400 meters. Here the path becomes steep, and the first fixed protections are helpful (the first fixed protections on the path from Kotovo sedlo onwards).
At the beginning of the climbing part the path crosses the exposed western slopes of the mountain, then turns left, where some easier climbing along the steel cable is necessary in the continuation. This is followed by a short descent into a steep gully, which we cross, then on the other side with the help of steel cables it begins to ascend over the exposed slope. This is followed by some easier climbing over broken rock, then we arrive at the main ridge, where we join the path via Jalovška škrbina, Vršič, Trenta, Bavšica and other paths from Loška Koritnica.
Here we continue left and there follows only a few minutes of ascent along an increasingly panoramic ridge and the path brings us to the summit of Jalovec.

Planica - Dom v Tamarju 0:45, Dom v Tamarju - razpotje Mali kot 1:30, razpotje Mali kot - Bivak pod Kotovim sedlom 1:15, Bivak pod Kotovim sedlom - razpotje Veliki kot 0:15, razpotje Veliki kot Kotovo sedlo 0:10, Kotovo sedlo - vstop v steno 0:50, vstop v steno - razpotje na grebenu Jalovca 1:20, razpotje na grebenu Jalovca - Jalovec 0:05.

On the way: Dom v Tamarju (1108m), Odcep za Ponce (1119m), Helioport Pod Brkico (1357m), Razpotje Mali kot (1564m), Rob planote (1889m), Bivak pod Kotovim sedlom (1977m), Razpotje Veliki kot (2067m), Kotovo sedlo (2134m), Vstop v steno (2380m), Škrbina v Prode (2460m), Razpotje na grebenu Jalovca (2613m)